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Hamburg: guided tour photographs (tourism interfaces)

All photographs © 2001–2005, Detlev Fischer

St Pauli. Seilerstrasse(1) On my way home, I had stopped at a certain point in Hein-Hoyer-Str. to return shortly afterwards to take some photographs. They were disappointing. When all 8 exposures were used up, a man, with a certain numb glance in his eyes which comes from anti-depressants rather than alcohol, stepped towards me and asked what I was doing. 'I live here, I like taking photographs of this area.' He kept hovering and looking at me expressionless. Is this a gaze that contains a request for being photographed?

St Pauli. Seilerstrasse(2) Then, while I was collapsing my tripod, a small group arrived led by a guide, who explained something about certain inner conficts of some writer that must be linked to that particular spot (Seilerstr. / Hein-Hoyer-Str.). I realized that this would have been an occasion to capture something of Hamburg as destination for INDELIVERABLE. I reloaded the camera, but the group was beginning to move on, towards Reeperbahn. I followed. The group re-gathered near Schmidt's theatre.

St Pauli. Seilerstrasse(3) I began to take some photographs, to the obvious irritation of the guide. He asked: can we have some prints? I replied in the positive and asked for his address, when he waved his hand, indicating that this had been a manner of speaking, a way of telling me that my presence was unwelcome. He explained: 'We don't want to end up in some newspaper.'

St Pauli. Seilerstrasse(4) I had in the meantime realized it was a group of gay and lesbian couples, and queerness was probably also the theme of the guided tour across St. Pauli. I explained that these photos were taken for artistic purposes only and weren't going to be published. 'Well, than you can stop now, if you would, please.' I apologized and retreated.

Last update: 14 February 2005 | Impressum—Imprint